The Spring Dreaming Story…
In true Horseshoes, Heart & Home style, there’s a little more meaning behind this classic design than meets the eye.
Spring is one of my favourite seasons, so welcome after the trials and troubles of the Winter – as anyone who spends a lot of their time outdoors or on animal care will know! I incorporated three of my most favourite spring time blessings into this design. Those things that make you pause, take a deep breath and give thanks for. The good weather is finally here.
Bluebells
We’re fortunate where we are based nearby Ashridge Forest, UK to have a plethora of bluebells to enjoy come April/May time. People come from miles around to see the sea of blues and purples that span the woodland floor. The scent of the flowers carries on the air.
Flower symbolism describes Bluebells as representing gratitude – how apt! I am always so grateful for Spring! As well as constancy and ever lasting love.
Horses
Have you noticed, that magical time when you begin to feel the warmth in the sun, the flies are not yet bothersome and ponies doze contentedly with fresh green grass in their tummies? Our mare Skittle was the model for this very image. We sat with her one sleepy May afternoon as she dreamt the time away. Whiskers twitching, eyelids flickering, little tail swishes, the sun warming us all through after a long winter.
The horse has long been a symbol of freedom. A paradoxical mix of strength and fragility. It is a sad fact that not every equine is fortunate to be free from hunger, pain or fear. It is in Skittle’s memory we donate 10% of our Spring Dreaming range to World Horse Welfare via Work For Good.
Swallows
“One Swallow Does Not A Summer Make”
Swallows are another of those sights that make my heart soar! The male returns first and sings to attract their mate. It is at this point I am on tenterhooks as we await her arrival. Every time they return to our barn where our ponies live I am so happy. I love Swallows! In the countryside of old, when Spring came, farming families went around the farm opening the stable and barn doors to welcome the Swallows home. The Swallow was said to bring protection and luck to the people living there.
Gratitude, Ever Lasting Love, Freedom, Luck & Protection – all represented in this unique design. Created from my own pen and ink drawings. Exclusively for Horseshoes, Heart & Home.
The Inspiration
I just adore everything with a story or hidden meaning. I confess I am a hopeless romantic and adore the old tales of symbolism and folklore. Why a gift of red roses had a very different meaning to a gift of white ones, for example. I love pre-raphaelite paintings and how, if you look closely, each have so many hidden symbols and meanings within them.
I’m also a country girl. Finding comfort in nature. Aware of the turn of the seasons, and the beauty that each holds. Different phases and cycles, the ebb and flow of the natural world.
I was a very pony mad but alas, pony less child. The vintage pony books I used to read were a form of escapism and comfort. I loved the nostalgic illustrations as much as the stories. They seem to create so much feel for such small images.
I am a home body. I love to potter in the garden, gather herbs, spend time with my animals and bake in the kitchen. When the days have been demanding, when times are hard, I firmly believe home should be a well crafted sanctuary of your passions and your comforts. To be surrounded by all the things you love, to help create that safe space for you to retreat to.
Each and every one of these enthusiasms of my heart provided the inspiration for these pieces. I hope you love them as much as I do.
Made In The Uk
I knew I wanted this very special range of textiles to be manufactured here in the UK. I am very proud to say the fabric in these pieces as well as the manufacturing is done in Lancashire. I am thrilled to be supporting UK manufacturing.
